


Exchanges

by Illiteracy_is_for_woozles



Series: Parts Of A Whole [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Deceit Sanders Angst, Deceit Tells the Truth, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Family Issues, Family Secrets, Feels, Gen, Good Deceit Sanders, Guilt, Heavy Angst, Long Lost/Secret Relatives, Meet the Family, Morality | Patton Sanders Cooks, Morally Neutral Deceit Sanders, POV Deceit Sanders, Rejection, Secrets, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders, Team as Family, Twins, Verbal Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-01-24 12:20:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18571375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Illiteracy_is_for_woozles/pseuds/Illiteracy_is_for_woozles
Summary: Patton gives each of the "Light Sides" an allowance of Dad Dollars to be used every week for whatever they like. To get out of chores, for an extra story at bedtime, a special dinner. It doesn't matter.Deceit and the other "Dark Sides" never get any... Until one of the others drop one.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Concept - Dad Dollars](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/475711) by marsupials-of-mars. 



> I wrote this during a very stressful few days at work and it kept making me cry so I had to stop, so it might be a bit weird.  
> Just know that I feel like Deceit is the Loki of the Sanders Sides videos.

“Alright,” Patton announced. “Here are your weekly allowances!”

Logan rolled his eyes and received an elbow from Roman in return.

“Thanks, Pop Star.” Virgil offered a small smile as he received his handful of colored papers.

 

Deceit peeked through the crack in the open closet under the stairs, watching the other Sides receiving their allowances out of good humor and obligation instead of real gratitude.

He didn’t understand. None of them took it seriously.

Patton used this as a way to show how much he  _ cared _ for them and they all  _ pretended _ to take it seriously.

And  _ Deceit _ was the liar. Go figure...

 

* * *

 

“Logan, it’s your turn to do the dishes.”

The logical side merely grunted in response, not looking up from his book.

Roman poked his head and threw a dish towel at Logan, where it unfolded and lay overtop his head.

“Hey, pocket protector, I’m not doing your chores for you again.”

Logan sighed and set his book in his lap before pulling the towel away, folding it, and picking his book back up.

Virgil huffed from his spot on the stairs, headphones halfway on his ears and phone in his hands.

“You know he’s not going to do it after you threw something at him.”

Roman blustered a moment before he finally pulled out the big guns by calling for Morality.

The peppy side popped up in the Mindscape’s shared space.

“What’s up, kiddos?”

Roman silently pointed an accusing finger in Logan’s direction, his lips pulled down at the corners.

Patton looked over his shoulders and saw the dishes, frowning.

“Hey, Lo? Wasn’t it your day to do the dishes?”

“It was.” He didn’t look up.

“What happened to following your schedules?”

Logan sighed and closed his book.

“Schedules are imperative, but Thomas has a CPR recertification test tomorrow and that seems more important to me, so I am trying to study for it. Therefore-” He produced his wallet and brought out a Dad Dollar. “As long as the dishes are done, I don’t see how it matters  _ who _ does them.”

Virgil squinted.

“We can  _ do _ that?” Roman squawked.

Patton took the paper with a smile.

“Of course.”

 

Deceit rolled his eyes as he slid the door fully closed with a click.

They were all so selfish and petty…

 

* * *

 

Patton stood with his head halfway in the refrigerator, bathed in the harsh yellow glow as he debated what to make for dinner.

“Hey, Pat?”

The Father Figment smacked his head on the inside of the fridge in his surprise.

“Virgil, has anyone ever told you that you’re sneakier than the Black Widow and the Winter Soldier combined?” Patton asked as he rubbed the back of his head.

“It’s the eyeshadow,” Anxiety deadpanned. “But I wanted to ask you a favor.”

Morality perked up when Virgil produced a Dad Dollar from his hoodie pocket and held it out.

“Would you mind making that chicken noodle soup, you make so well?” Virgil scuffed his shoe on the tile. “It’s just been a rough day and everything’s really bright and loud, and that soup is light and easy and-”

Patton cut off his ramble with a hug.

“Keep the Dollar. I couldn’t decide what to make anyway.”

 

Virgil was grinning as he walked from the kitchen.

Deceit watched as he left, secretly happy for his former friend.

Yeah, Virgil was still keeping secrets and lying, but no more than the others and until those came to the surface, he was loved and accepted.

He had a chance Deceit and the Others probably never would and they didn’t hold it against him. They would still accept him as one of their own when it all fell apart.

A fluttering and flash of color brought him out of his musing.

A single, solitary Dad Dollar had fallen out of Virgil’s pocket and landed on the floor. Right in front of Deceit’s hiding spot.

His eyes widened. Those were like  _ gold _ here in the Mindscape.

They treated them as jokes, but the Accepted Sides knew how important they were to Morality and the Unaccepted Sides - Deceit’s friends - knew the kinds of favors you could trade them for; the love and affection and  _ understanding _ you could get.

He looked both ways, making sure Virgil was long gone and no one else was coming.

Patton could be heard running water in a pot and starting the stove.

Deceit looked back to the paper in front of him and darted out, snatching it from the ground, and running back to the safety of the darkness.

He studied the paper in his hand, crumpled as it was. It had a picture of Patton on it with dollar signs on either side, making Deceit chuckle at the imagery.

He chewed on the inside of his cheek, thinking over what to do next.

He could keep it, but the chances of the others honoring if he chose to  _ use _ it were slim to none. Deceit was self-serving, but it would be worse for him if they thought he had stolen it.

He sighed.

Virgil probably still kept things that were important to him in the same place he always did. He could just return it there and no one would ever know.

 

Deceit cracked open the sock drawer, only to hear his name being growled from the door.

“Hey, V,” he said, trying to sound light and friendly.

“What are you doing in my room?”

Deceit held up his hands in a show of peace.

“I’m just trying to-”

“Nevermind, I don’t care.”

Deceit felt the words like a slap to the face.

“Just get out now.”

Deceit took a step closer but stumbled back when Virgil’s voice seemed to multiply and deepen to inhuman levels.

“Get out before I  _ throw _ you out.”

 

* * *

 

They weren’t listening to him again.

They  _ never  _ listened and Thomas kept getting hurt. He wasn’t even encouraging them to lie this time, and they  _ still _ wouldn’t listen.

Patton pleaded with the others to just listen to him, always so desperate to have his way.

Logan struggled to suppress his emotions as usual, hiding behind that robotic facade.

The ever eager-to-please Roman was struggling with doing the right thing for Thomas and what made his friends happy.

Virgil looked like he was about to scream with the absurdity of the situation.

Deceit glanced over at Thomas. The poor guy looked miserable with his inner turmoil.

Sighing, Deceit pulled the folded piece of paper out of his pocket.

“I’d like to use a Dad Dollar,” he announced.

Everything went silent, all eyes going to him.

“What?”

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, already dreading what was coming.

“Since none of you will listen to me, I’d like to use a Dad Dollar in exchange for sixty seconds to explain my side of the matter.”

The other Sides continued to stare in complete and total silence until it was finally broken by Anxiety.

“Is that why you were in my sock drawer?” he growled.

“I found it after you dropped it and was  _ trying _ to put it away,” Deceit hissed.

“You can’t use a Dollar; you haven’t  _ earned  _ it.”

Deceit whipped his head towards Patton, causing the other Side to take a step back.

“Like anyone else earned them?” He scoffed. “At least I want to use my  _ one, measly dollar _ to benefit someone else rather than for my own gain.”

Logan shifted uncomfortably.

“But you know what?” Deceit dropped the paper and held his hands in the air. “You want to accept Virgil and I’m happy for him; I really am.”

He took a step back from the circle, glaring at the others angrily. 

“But if none of the rest of us are welcome, despite having Thomas’ best interest at heart? Then that’s fine by me.”

He sunk out, not hearing a single protest.

His little closet under the stairs was dark and quiet, just the way he liked it.

Deceit curled up on his bed with his legs pulled up close and his arms wrapped around them.

He wondered if they’d ever realize how miserable Thomas was when he didn’t take care of himself before it was too late.

Someone sat on the edge of the bed and laid a hand on his shoulder.

“You okay, Dee?”

“No, not really.”

Another person slid down the wall next to the bed, leaning their head against the mattress.

“At least there’s still the three of us, right?”

Deceit sighed, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Yeah, at least there’s us.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deceit's friends stand up for their family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I intended this to be over after this chapter, but it just kept getting longer and I couldn't make it stop. There will be another chapter and this might... turn into a series? Who knows.
> 
> Also, I intended this to be done on my birthday (the first) but it's Star Wars day so celebrations are in order for two separate things, I guess? (I dunno, Star Wars isn't really my thing. *shrugs*)

Loneliness tried to calm Anger, but the other Side certainly lived up to his title.

“You need to stop and think about this for a minute,” he pleaded.

Anger continued to stomp through the Mindscape, shouting for the others at the top of his lungs.

“Rae,  _ please, _ ” Loneliness hissed. “If we leave now, they might not have heard us.”

As soon as the words had left the tip of his tongue, Creativity rose up with his sword held like a baseball bat.

“Uh…” He looked between the two of them with confusion evident as Loneliness blindly clutched onto Anger’s sweatshirt. “Who are you?”

Anger squared his shoulders and tightened his fists.

“I’m the guy who’s gonna teach you some manners,” he growled through clenched teeth.

Creativity blinked, lowering the weapon but still not able to understand what was happening.

Loneliness tugged his friend, growing slightly desperate.

“We were just leaving,” he apologized.

 

Logan rose up into the common space to find Roman armed and two strange Sides standing in Thomas’ usual spot, one hiding slightly behind the other.

The one in front looked like Thomas, as they all did, but he was scrawnier, a little sickly even. He was dressed in what appeared to be an oversized, reddish orange gym sweatshirt with a golden  _ “TS” _ on the left breast edged in black. His jeans were ratty and well-worn, stained and torn like he’d been in a good many fights without the ability to mend them in between.   
He stood with his chin raised high and a fire in his eyes, defiance and righteous indignation pouring off of him in waves.

Despite being the same size, the other man seemed to be trying to make himself small enough to disappear or become invisible. He was partially hidden behind the other man, but Logan saw that he was dressed almost identically to Virgil, only his color scheme was pine green rather than purple, and underneath his eyes he had what looked to be sea blue makeup that shone like tears where Anxiety had his eyeshadow.

Logan cleared his throat, despite all attention already being on him.

“Can I help you two gentlemen?”

The one that he had identified as Anger turned his piercing gaze to him, showing his left eye to be a glowing orange flame. Logan glanced around him and realized that the other man’s left eye was an inhuman silver like starlight.

“Yeah, you can explain to me why you idiots never care about anyone but yourselves,” he bellowed.

Patton rose up and the quieter stranger huffed, shoving his hands into his pockets as he flopped onto the couch.

“Hey, kiddos. What’s with all of the commotion?”

Something sparked in Anger’s eyes before his voice dropped and became an monstrous bass.

“ _ You. _ Your the one that hurt Deceit.”

Patton pursed his lips, his eyebrows merging.

“You must be his… friends.” He took a small step back.

Logan frowned at his friend’s movement. It wasn’t out of fear; it was more from disgust than anything else.

The quiet one rolled his eyes while Anger seemed to vibrate with rage.

“Of  _ course _ we’re his friends. How can you  _ morons _ be so  _ selfish _ ?” He growled a deep, animalistic sound. “You three insist that everyone be  _ just _ like you and  _ think _ just like you and if they  _ don’t,  _ you label them a ‘ _ Dark Side _ .’”

Roman winced, obviously realizing he’d been the one responsible for that nickname.

Logan watched the strangers. The logic was sound and they weren’t saying anything that wasn’t true. How much damage could it do to listen?

“And what right do you have to call E- Deceit a  _ liar _ ,” Anger pointed at Patton, Roman, and Logan in turn. “When you make everyone think you’re so innocent but you  _ always _ have to have your way, you act like nothing bothers you, and  _ you _ say you can’t even  _ feel _ anything when you  _ obviously _ feel everything just as much, if not  _ more _ !”

It was like a punch to the gut. Logan knew it was true, even if he hated to admit it.

He was  _ supposed _ to be the logical one and emotions overrode that all the time. He had thought… He had thought that if he faked it long enough, it would become true.

“Well, what about Anxiety, huh?” Roman deflected. “If you know all  _ our _ dirty secrets, why aren’t you airing out his?”

Anger sighed, deflating a little as if a switch had been flipped.

Logan studied the quieter one as a pinched expression - a cross between sorrow and hope and… pride? - came over his face and he stood, beginning to tug lightly on Anger’s sleeve again. His left eye - a bright silver next to his brown right eye - sparkled.

“Because,” his voice was soft as he began, cautious. “Virgil wants you to accept him and we want him to be happy.”

Logan blinked, already understanding, when Patton asked the worst possible question.

“Why would you care? You haven’t even visited.”

Anger turned on them, a simmering determination beneath the surface.

“Because, we  _ care _ about our family - pieces of  _ ourselves _ \- whether they want us around - whether we  _ like _ each other - or not,  _ and  _ we respect their feelings and opinions.” He grit his teeth before they began to sink out, mumbling his last words. “Unlike some people.”

The logical side shared looks with the others.

Guilt sat like a lead weight in his stomach. All of the emotions that he’d tried to suppress welled up within him all at once and he just… couldn’t keep it in anymore.

It  _ hurt. _

What had they done…

  
  
  


Virgil felt that…  _ ache. _

He felt that general restlessness that came with anxiety in the Mindscape, but this was… that  _ other _ thing, the thing that he couldn’t ever let the other Light Sides know he was involved with. But… he couldn’t just ignore it either.

He sighed and rose up into the common area.

“Alright, Thomas, what corner’d you back yourself into this time?”

Virgil did a double-take when he realized that Thomas wasn’t there.

He looked over to the others in their usual places, realizing that the -  _ feeling  _ was coming from these three in particular.

Patton stood with his arms wrapped around himself, a look of pure and unadulterated shame on his face.

Roman - who Virgil always felt a low-level vibe of  _ it _ from - was much the same, if a little more quiet as he looked to Virgil like he had the answers to all of life’s greatest questions in his head. Virgil most certainly didn’t.

Logan, however, had curled up in a ball against the wall with his knees pulled to his chest, his eyes staring straight ahead, and tear tracks down his cheeks.

“Virgil?”

“Yeah, Pat?” Anxiety turned back to the usually peppy side, trying to reel in his own urge to give in to the oppressive-  _ weight _ .

“Are we bad people?”

He sucked in a breath.

“No- No, bud.” He felt like his hoodie was made of lead in that moment. “No, of course not. Why would you think that?”

Patton wouldn’t look him in the eye, his voice soft and unsure.

“Deceit’s friends came by and-”

An icy chill went through him, but he kept his expression blank.

“They said some things that made a lot of sense,” Patton finished, fiddling with the bottom of his cardigan. “Like, how I always have to have my way, but it’s only because I want to make sure Thomas’ friends like him still and everyone else is taken care of.”

He met Virgil’s eyes.

“Does that make me selfish?”

Virgil sighed and closed his eyes, shrugging.

“In a way, I guess.”

It apparently wasn’t the right thing to say, because  _ it _ grew in Patton while he seemed to fold in on himself.

“They were right.”

Virgil turned to the Side on the floor, still staring off into space.

“What’d you say, Lo?”

“They were right, we reject anything that isn’t like us and call  _ ourselves _ good.” A muscle twitched in his jaw. “We refuse to listen when they have a better idea or even an opinion at all just because they make us feel uncomfortable or, worse,  _ remind _ us of what’s lurking inside of  _ us _ .”

Virgil sighed.

“Yeah, that’s- that’s generally what people  _ do _ .”

Logan shook his head and put his head in his hands.

“It’s not  _ right _ , to turn people away like that. I can’t believe we ever did.”

“We need to fix this,” Patton whispered, pleading.

Roman cleared his throat, sounding more like he was clearing out any residual emotion that he didn’t want to show.

“I think- I think we should accept all three of them.” He held his hands behind his back and stared down at his feet. “I would like to personally go and apologize for the… name I called them.”

Virgil wiped a hand over his eyes, realizing what he had to do.

“No, I’ll- I need to do it. I have more to apologize for than you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anyone wanna guess what Deceit's name is?  
> Or who the other "Dark" Side is? What he stands for or his name or why he looks so much like Virgil?  
> Wanna take a stab at what the emotion Virgil doesn't want the others to know he's in charge of dealing with?  
> *evil laughter*


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil goes to talk to the other "Dark" Sides and things come to a close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This goes out to my baby sister who's been sick. She loves the Sanders Sides series.
> 
> This may end up as a series, actually, so be prepared for that. Any ideas for that?

Virgil took a deep breath and rapped his knuckles lightly on the hidden door to Deceit’s room.

This was a bad idea. They probably hated him. He certainly hated himself, but they deserved an apology. If they never wanted to see him again, he would leave and not even go around Patton, Logan, or Roman, if that made things right.

Whatever he had to do.

The door cracked open, revealing Rae’s near-permanent scowl.

Virgil opened his mouth before realizing that he didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry” was too weak, but a long explanation would only feel like empty words.

Rae’s eyes softened just a bit and he opened the door all the way.

Virgil ducked his head to get through, but still didn’t stand all the way back up as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie.

Ethan sat on his bed, legs crossed and his brows drawn together in confusion.

In the back corner of the room, Lee was curled up on the loveseat with his eyes glued to Virgil.

The anxious side jerked his gaze to his feet, trying to ignore the instinct to just cut and run. He cleared his throat.

“I-”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, you feel guilty; we get it,” Rae interrupted as he stomped over to the mini fridge. “Now do you still like that ginger ale crap or what?”

Virgil blinked.

“No- I mean, yes, but hang on a sec.” He looked between Rae and Ethan, the latter of which showed signs of recently having been crying. “I left and started treating you like dirt and you’re _okay_ with it? You’re just going to go back to the way things were?”

Ethan chuckled wetly, shaking his head.

“I would’ve done the same if I was given the chance.” He gave a sad half-smile. “Out of all of us, you were the least likely to be accepted but you _still_ made it work.”

Virgil’s jaw clenched, but Ethan continued.

“I showed up and threatened the balance you had, so you panicked.” He inclined his head. “I’m not saying it’s okay, but I am saying that I understand.”

Virgil glanced to Rae who just shrugged and tossed him a can of soda, which Virgil caught one-handed.

“Technically, you never even mentioned me so we’re good. Just don’t go hurting the others again.”

Virgil shook his head adamantly, almost manic.

“Not gonna happen again.”

Rae nodded and flopped on the bed behind Ethan.

Virgil finally actually looked over to Lee, expecting a glare.

The other man just smiled and moved his legs off the seat, providing enough room for Virgil to squeeze himself into.

And how could he ever turn down the offer?

  
  


Logan folded his tie over his fingers, trying to focus on the fabric’s texture rather than the emotions roiling in his gut.

What if they wouldn’t forgive them? What if this caused a permanent divide between Thomas’ psyche? What if Virgil decided that he wasn’t their friend anymore? Whatifwhatifwhatifwhatifwhatif?

His inner panic was cut short by Anger appearing and flopping down on his back on the couch, Deceit sitting on the back of it, and Virgil popping up with the other, unknown Side in his usual spot.

Logan was, for once, completely tongue-tied. He adjusted his tie in the silence.

Patton pushed his glasses up on his nose, but they just slid down again when he looked to his shoes.

The silence carried on, only being broken by Anger sighing in exasperation, until Roman cleared his throat.

“I, uh, I’m sorry.” He waved a hand aimlessly. “I came up with that _cruel_ nickname for you all and there was no call or excuse for it.”

Deceit blinked once. Twice.

“That’s- very mature of you, Roman.”

“I would also like it to be known that I agreed with you that Thomas shouldn’t have gone to the wedding last month,” the humbled prince continued. “I just made the decision that I did because I didn’t want any of my friends to be mad at me.”

The patented smirk appeared on Deceit’s face.

“Yeah, that wasn’t much of a secret.”

Roman snorted a laugh, smiling a little at the unspoken pardon.

Patton stepped forward.

“And you were right, um- Anger, was it?” He rubbed a hand nervously along his left arm. “I _do_ always have to have my way and that’s not right.”

Anger narrowed his eyes as the other Side continued.

“I’m Thomas’ morality, but I forgot that sometimes the morals that I was instilled with aren’t always what’s _right_ and I don’t listen to other people when they tell me that I’m wrong.” He sighed. “It would mean a lot to me if you would be willing to stick around and tell me when I’m messing up.”

Anger actually started laughing and swung his legs over the edge of the couch as he sat up.

“Let me get this straight.” He ran a hand over his face and looked back up at Patton, a sardonic smile playing at his lips. “You want me to yell at you every time you say something stupid?”

Patton’s eyes widened slightly and he hesitantly drew out an affirmative.

Anger’s smile grew.

“I’m in.” He stuck out a hand to shake. “And the name’s Rae.”

Patton shook, sealing the deal.

Virgil grinned, a smile the likes of which Logan had never seen on him before.

“So, you already know him as Deceit, but that’s Ethan-” The mentioned Side waved from his perch.

Virgil swung an arm around his green doppelganger, the shy man turning red.

“And this is Lee.” His grin softened into a happy smile, similar to how Patton looked at the three of them. “He’s my twin.”

“What?” Roman squawked.

Logan looked back and forth between the two, so many pieces pulling together and making so much sense.

Patton positively and absolutely _squealed._

“I have _two_ dark, strange songs!”

The twins groaned in sync.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: Three of my siblings and I are literally the four main Sides in real life. My baby sister (the currently-sick one) is a real-life Virgil in all of their emo glory, my other sister is a real-life Patton with all of their goofy jokes and weirdness, my brother is Roman with all of his creative genius and adorableness, and I am the most logical of people that is horrible at showing emotions properly or understanding normal human interaction.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment telling me what you think?  
> This is my first time writing Sanders Sides fic, so...


End file.
